Coe promises Staffordshire companies will benefit

JULY 11 - SEBASTIAN COE (pictured) has promised that companies in Staffordshire will benefit from London staging the 2012 Olympics.

It follows criticism from the area that they will not benefit from the Games.

Coe told the Stoke Senitel: "We take this very, very seriously.

"More than half the contracts given out by the ODA (Olympic Delivery Authority) are to companies from outside London.

"We have still got four years to go and so far most of the contracts have been of a construction nature.

"That is freeing up the supply chain and making sure small and medium-sized enterprises within the construction arena are able to benefit.

"That is happening now in the West Midlands.

"There is a business in Walsall which is building a large sewage system for the Olympic Village and there is a tubing company in Wolverhampton that is supplying all the tubing for the conveyor belt system there.

"I am seeing this happening the length and breadth of the country."

Critics, including some senior academics in Staffordshire, question the value of London 2012 to North Staffordshire and South Cheshire - saying the money would be much better spent on regeneration projects.

But councillor Debra Gratton, Stoke-on-Trent City Council portfolio holder for sports and leisure, said: "The Olympics and Paralympic Games offer an excellent opportunity to Stoke-on-Trent businesses to showcase their talents on a worldwide stage.

"The city has a wealth of companies which could directly benefit from the 2012 Games.

"This is why it is so important for businesses to get behind the events.

"The money and opportunities are out there and I do believe Stoke-on-Trent will be able to pull in very big contracts on the back of the Games.

"A dedicated officer has now been assigned to help and it is important that companies register to be in with a chance.

"This is a once in a life time opportunity and we need to be making the most of it.

"The focus on the Olympics will raise the profile of the city and boost tourism for many years to come."

inside the photos

Fact of the day

The idea of holding the South Pacific Games originated with Dr A.H. Sahu Khan, one of Fiji's representatives at a meeting of the South Pacific Commission held at Rabaul during 1959. The idea was adopted and led to a meeting of nine Territories, held in Nouméa during March 1961, which awarded Fiji the honour of hosting the very first Games in 1963. The event changed its name to the Pacific Games in 1998 when it took place in Santa Rita, Guam.

Featured Job

Volleyball England is the recognised National Governing Body for Volleyball, Beach Volleyball and Sitting Volleyball in England. Volleyball England is responsible for the development, promotion and delivery of Volleyball across England.

Visit our Shop

The Big Read

A bid race between Almaty and Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, which has mostly failed to capture the imagination, reaches its conclusion in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. This, however, is not the first occasion there has been only two bidders for the Games and the last time it happened it turned out to be a pivotal moment in the future of the Olympic Movement. Philip Barker looks back more than 30 years too when Seoul was awarded the 1988 Olympics